Survey Explores Why People Switch Mobile Operating Systems

During quarterly earnings calls, Apple CEO Tim Cook often boasts about the high rate of customers who are switching from Android devices over to iPhones. Recent research data has suggested Android switchers account for 15 to 20 percent of iPhone purchases.

A new survey of 2,500 people conducted by PCMag delves into the reasons why iOS users switch to Android and why Android users switch to iOS.

18 percent of customers who switched mobile operating systems went from Android to iOS, while just 11 percent dropped iOS for Android.

47 percent of customers who switched over to iOS from Android said that they chose to do so for a "better user experience," while 25 percent cited "better features" like camera and design.

11 percent of respondents switched to iOS for better prices, while other reasons for switching included more apps, faster software updates, and better customer service.

On the Android side, customers switching to Android from iOS cited better user experience and better prices as the main reasons why they chose to adopt a new operating system.

While there were a small number of switchers among those surveyed, 71 percent have never switched at all, remaining loyal to their operating system of choice. According to data shared earlier this year by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, both iOS and Android have high customer loyalty rates.

It's difficult for smartphone companies to get customers to switch operating systems, and this has led Apple to lure Android users through a variety of methods, including trade-in options, ads touting iPhone features compared to Android devices, a Move to iOS app to make transitioning simple, and a "Switch" website dedicated to explaining all of the reasons why the iPhone is better than competing smartphones.

According to PCMag's survey, operating system isn't the biggest factor in why customers choose one smartphone over another. 33 percent cited price as the reason for picking an iOS device or an Android device, while 26 percent said brand mattered. 19 percent said that operating system was the main reason for choosing iOS or Android.

PCMag also shared a few other interesting data points that came from the Apple and Android customers it surveyed. Among customers who made a switch to a new operating system or are considering making a switch, 56 percent said they didn't care about new smartphone releases.

34 percent said they buy a new phone when their contract is up, and 17 percent said they make a new phone purchase only when they break the screen on their current phone.

Apple may see a new wave of Android switchers over the course of the next few months with the launch of the 2018 iPhones. Android switchers typically choose larger "Plus" sized iPhones when switching and Apple is set to debut an iPhone with a 6.5-inch OLED display, the company's biggest iPhone screen to date.

The 6.5-inch OLED iPhone will be sold alongside a 5.8-inch OLED iPhone and a 6.1-inch iPhone with an LCD and a lower price tag, which could also lure Android users. Rumors have suggested the 6.1-inch iPhone, which will offer up Face ID and an edge-to-edge design, could be priced somewhere around $700.